ABC Special Highlights the Need for Education After SCHIP Expansion
Filed under: Medicaid, Obama Administration, Quality Improvement, SCHIP, State Initiatives, Uninsured
Photo by Jan van der Crabben
ABC aired A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains last Friday with host Diane Sawyer. Children of the Mountains follows the lives of several children growing up in Central Appalachia.
The special raised several crucial issues, but I was struck by the lack of healthcare available to Appalachian children. Sawyer reported that a diet consisting of high-fat, salty foods and massive amounts of soda pop, particularly Mountain Dew, are responsible for a range of adverse childhood and adolescent health conditions.
One of the most serious health conditions addressed by Children of the Mountains is toothlessness. Sawyer explored how the consumption of large quantities of sugary sodas like Mountain Dew causes extensive cavities and tooth decay. Additionally, Appalachian children experience a lack of resources and health insurance coverage that surpasses that of many other low-income Americans.
The expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program signed into law by President Obama last month requires all states to provide dental care to enrollees. While this is encouraging in light of the serious deficiencies in the availability of dental care to Appalachian children, The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that in 2004, 5.4 million uninsured children were eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but not enrolled.
In the Wake of Daschle’s Withdrawal, Obama Signs Bill to Expand SCHIP Coverage
Filed under: Obama Administration, Quality Improvement, SCHIP, State Initiatives, Uninsured
photo by marjanhols via flickr
President Obama signed the bill extending health coverage to millions of low-income children yesterday after it the House gave final approval, according to The New York Times. Many see this as a signal of the president’s clear intention to guarantee coverage for all Americans.
Since August 2007, the House has voted at least seven times for legislation to expand the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program. In a recent blog we explained how Former-president George W. Bush twice vetoed similar legislation. Bush adamantly opposed the legislation on the ground that it would lead to “government-run health care for every American,” reports The Times.
Rep. Henry A. Waxman, a California Democrat said that the bill was “a down payment” and “an essential start” to the ultimate goal of health reform. Speaker Nancy Pelosi proclaimed the passage and signing of the bill as the result of the last fall’s historic presidential election, stating:
“This is the beginning of the change that the American people voted for in the last election, and that we will achieve with President Barack Obama.”
One of the major features of the bill is that it allows states to cover certain legal immigrants, who are currently barred from Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years after they enter the United States.
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